University of Minnesota Athletics
Sunday, March 9
Evanston, IL
4:30 PM
University of Minnesota
vs
Big Ten Championships - Finals
Players Mentioned
157 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
184 lbs.
/ Wrestling
174 lbs.
/ Wrestling
285 lbs.
/ Wrestling
141 lbs.
/ Wrestling
Photo by: Brad Rempel
Steveson Makes History with Fourth Big Ten Title
3/9/2025 8:25:00 PM | Wrestling
EVANSTON, Ill. – Minnesota's Gable Steveson made history with his fourth career conference championship as the 2025 Big Ten Championships wrapped up Sunday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.
Steveson became the first heavyweight in Big Ten history to win four titles, and he became just the 19th wrestler to accomplish the feat overall. The only other Gopher to do so was Verne Gagne, who recorded wins in 1944 and 1947-49.Â
As a team, Minnesota finished in fourth place with 108.5 points, equaling its best finish under head coach Brandon Eggum, after also reaching fourth in 2019. Penn State won the team title with 181.5 points, followed by Nebraska (137) and Iowa (112).
Steveson's title win came over the defending national champion and fellow undefeated Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State. Steveson had takedowns in each period on his way to a 10-3 decision, snapping Kerkvliet's 38-match win streak dating to the 2023 NCAA Championship match. Steveson has yet to be taken down this season and he's now 6-0 this year against top-10 opponents and 14-0 overall. It was Steveson's 66th straight victory, passing Dustin Schlatter for the second longest win streak in program history. The record belongs to Cole Konrad at 76 from 2005-07.
Steveson, who was named First Team All-Big Ten and Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, was one of three Gophers to make the finals Sunday night.
In a battle of undefeated wrestlers at 184 pounds, redshirt freshman Max McEnelly was dealt the first loss of his collegiate career in an overtime battle against top-ranked and four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci of Penn State. McEnelly, a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, had won the first 35 matches of his career, including 15 last year in a redshirt season.
It was McEnelly who struck first, scoring the opening takedown for a 3-1 lead after one period. Starocci responded in the second with a quick escape and a takedown, the first against McEnelly since the South Dakota State dual in early December. Down 5-4 going to the third, McEnelly lodged an escape of his own, sending the match to overtime, Starocci's first since the 2022 NCAA Championship match. With 40 seconds left in the extra session, McEnelly went for a shot but missed and Starocci caught him on the re-attack for the 8-5 victory.
McEnelly was recognized post-championship as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the seventh Gopher to earn the honor and the first since Steveson in 2019.
Vance VomBaur was the runner-up at 141 pounds, earning the best finish of his career and the highest by a Gopher at the weight since Michael Thorn was also second in 2011. Seeded fourth, VomBaur faced No. 3 Brock Hardy of Nebraska. The two exchanged shots early on but Hardy caught the redshirt junior in a cradle and pinned him at the 1:58 mark.
Coming in fourth place marked the highest finish of fifth-year senior Andrew Sparks' career. Coming off a sixth-place appearance last year at 174 pounds, Sparks was handed a 2-1 loss by No. 4 Beau Mantanona of Michigan at 165. Scoreless after the first period, Mantanona started on bottom and was able to net a reversal. Sparks escaped but that would be the end of the scoring as he couldn't get the go-ahead score.
Competing at 197 pounds for the first time, Isaiah Salazar produced the third top-four finish of his career at Big Tens. Facing No. 5 Zac Braunagel of Illinois, each wrestler recorded an escape in regulation, sending the match to sudden victory. In overtime, Braunagel notched a single-leg takedown to tally the 4-1 win.
It was a fifth-place finish for fellow fifth-year senior Tommy Askey at 157 pounds. Taking on top-seeded Ethen Miller of Maryland, Askey, the No. 5 seed, earned a 7-3 decision to garner the team's top finish at the weight since Brayton Lee in 2021. After a scoreless first period, Askey escaped early in the second period and grabbed the first takedown on a single-leg, taking a 4-1 lead into the third. An early escape from Miller cut the lead to 3-2, but Askey gave himself a cushion with another single-leg takedown.
Up next for Minnesota is the 2025 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Penn., March 20-22. Eight Gophers have already clinched spots, while the remaining at-large bids will be announced on March 11, and the full bracket with seeding is scheduled to be released March 12.
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Steveson became the first heavyweight in Big Ten history to win four titles, and he became just the 19th wrestler to accomplish the feat overall. The only other Gopher to do so was Verne Gagne, who recorded wins in 1944 and 1947-49.Â
As a team, Minnesota finished in fourth place with 108.5 points, equaling its best finish under head coach Brandon Eggum, after also reaching fourth in 2019. Penn State won the team title with 181.5 points, followed by Nebraska (137) and Iowa (112).
Steveson's title win came over the defending national champion and fellow undefeated Greg Kerkvliet of Penn State. Steveson had takedowns in each period on his way to a 10-3 decision, snapping Kerkvliet's 38-match win streak dating to the 2023 NCAA Championship match. Steveson has yet to be taken down this season and he's now 6-0 this year against top-10 opponents and 14-0 overall. It was Steveson's 66th straight victory, passing Dustin Schlatter for the second longest win streak in program history. The record belongs to Cole Konrad at 76 from 2005-07.
Steveson, who was named First Team All-Big Ten and Outstanding Wrestler of the Championships, was one of three Gophers to make the finals Sunday night.
In a battle of undefeated wrestlers at 184 pounds, redshirt freshman Max McEnelly was dealt the first loss of his collegiate career in an overtime battle against top-ranked and four-time NCAA champion Carter Starocci of Penn State. McEnelly, a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree, had won the first 35 matches of his career, including 15 last year in a redshirt season.
It was McEnelly who struck first, scoring the opening takedown for a 3-1 lead after one period. Starocci responded in the second with a quick escape and a takedown, the first against McEnelly since the South Dakota State dual in early December. Down 5-4 going to the third, McEnelly lodged an escape of his own, sending the match to overtime, Starocci's first since the 2022 NCAA Championship match. With 40 seconds left in the extra session, McEnelly went for a shot but missed and Starocci caught him on the re-attack for the 8-5 victory.
McEnelly was recognized post-championship as the Big Ten Freshman of the Year, the seventh Gopher to earn the honor and the first since Steveson in 2019.
Vance VomBaur was the runner-up at 141 pounds, earning the best finish of his career and the highest by a Gopher at the weight since Michael Thorn was also second in 2011. Seeded fourth, VomBaur faced No. 3 Brock Hardy of Nebraska. The two exchanged shots early on but Hardy caught the redshirt junior in a cradle and pinned him at the 1:58 mark.
Coming in fourth place marked the highest finish of fifth-year senior Andrew Sparks' career. Coming off a sixth-place appearance last year at 174 pounds, Sparks was handed a 2-1 loss by No. 4 Beau Mantanona of Michigan at 165. Scoreless after the first period, Mantanona started on bottom and was able to net a reversal. Sparks escaped but that would be the end of the scoring as he couldn't get the go-ahead score.
Competing at 197 pounds for the first time, Isaiah Salazar produced the third top-four finish of his career at Big Tens. Facing No. 5 Zac Braunagel of Illinois, each wrestler recorded an escape in regulation, sending the match to sudden victory. In overtime, Braunagel notched a single-leg takedown to tally the 4-1 win.
It was a fifth-place finish for fellow fifth-year senior Tommy Askey at 157 pounds. Taking on top-seeded Ethen Miller of Maryland, Askey, the No. 5 seed, earned a 7-3 decision to garner the team's top finish at the weight since Brayton Lee in 2021. After a scoreless first period, Askey escaped early in the second period and grabbed the first takedown on a single-leg, taking a 4-1 lead into the third. An early escape from Miller cut the lead to 3-2, but Askey gave himself a cushion with another single-leg takedown.
Up next for Minnesota is the 2025 NCAA Championships in Philadelphia, Penn., March 20-22. Eight Gophers have already clinched spots, while the remaining at-large bids will be announced on March 11, and the full bracket with seeding is scheduled to be released March 12.
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Gopher Wrestling Tries Gymnastics
Thursday, May 29
Steveson Advances to NCAA Title Match
Friday, March 21
Gable Steveson: NCAA Quarterfinals
Friday, March 21
Gable Steveson: NCAA Pin
Thursday, March 20